Day: 048
Date: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
Start: Cape Crawford
Finish: Bulwaddy Picnic/Camping Area
Daily Kilometres: 181 (click for Julie's Strava and photos)
Total Kilometres: 5127
Weather: Cool early, then hot and sunny
Accommodation: Tent
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Ham, cheese & tomato sandwiches
Lunch: Ham, cheese & tomato sandwiches
Dinner: Soup, Macaroni cheese
Aches: Nothing significant
Highlight: At the end of a long hot day's ride, and finding the water tanks dry (not unexpectedly) at the picnic area where we were free camping along with a couple of other travellers, we were working out how much of the precious water we had carried all day we could afford to use for a wash. Water was still needed for dinner and tomorrow as well. As we were setting up our tent, a lady from a caravan parked some distance away, walked over and asked whether we needed any water and whether we would like to have a shower in their caravan. We politely declined the shower, but accepted the offer of water and were given a bucketful which allowed us to have a much-needed refreshing wash.
Lowlight: After our wash (see above), as we were preparing dinner, a 4WD with two young guys and a dog arrived where we were camping. One got out, having a loud profane argument with the driver, and obviously inebriated, and then came over to have a slurred conversation with us while his mate set up camp nearby. An hour later, as I write this we can still clearly hear him having a loud conversation with his mate. Hope it's not going to be a noisy night.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
We woke at 5:30am and stealthily packed, hoping not to disturb the motorcyclist camped close by. Most of the time he was snoring, which was a good sign. The sun was just rising as we left the roadhouse at 6:45am. We had purchased drinks and sandwiches last night for today's ride as the roadhouse doesn't open until 8am and we didn't want to hang around until then. Firstly, we had 181km to ride so wanted to get going as soon as possible, and secondly, it was going to be hot and it's best to make good use of the cooler early hours for riding.
We weren't sure of getting any food or water for the next 272km, so we were carrying enough food for two days plus 17 litres of water and soft drink, adding considerably to the weight of our bikes. But the road was going to be sealed the whole way, and the hills looked to be gradual, so the weight was less of an issue than for other days.
It was very cool riding for the first hour, but we savoured it, knowing that the forecast high for the day was in the mid-thirties, Centigrade. Apart from the better temperatures, the early morning riding is always the best. There are more animals about, and the orange dawn light illuminates the trees and lanscape around and ahead of us. Not to mention that we are fresh.
Today's ride emphasised yet again what a vast outback Australia has. Apart from a couple of side roads leading to cattle stations, and a few roaming cattle early on, we were surrounded by savannah woodland all day. It wasn't all the same. Different trees predominated in different places, and occasionally, there were stretches of grassland. From the top of a couple of rises, we could see the savannah woodland stretching as far as the eye could see. Not only did we ride 181km today with almost unbroken outback bush on both sides of the road, but it was clear that we could venture many kilometres into the bush on either side of the road and it would be the same. The vastness is awesome.
By coincidence, the day broke up nicely into sections defined by the 10-kilometre signs along the road giving the distance to the Stuart Highway, about 270km from Cape Crawford. It was 40km to the first picnic area where we had breakfast admiring an impressive view over the savannah, and then it was almost 60km, with a break half-way, to the next picnic area where we stopped for lunch. From there, we had almost exactly 80km to the Bulwaddy Picnic Area where we are now, which we broke into sections of 30km, 30km, 20km. Thirty kilometres, or 90 minutes, continues to be our optimal riding distance, with breaks of 30 minutes in between. Averaging 20kph, as we did when riding today, worked out very neatly.
Traffic was light, but there were a lot of road trains, particularly cattle trucks. The cattle trucks were mostly empty, so some station must have been moving a lot of cattle around. The road was very narrow for much of the day, so we always got onto the rough gravel edge for road trains, and usually for other vehicles as well. Even then, I almost got blown off my bike by one road train as it passed.
We arrived at the Bulwaddy Picnic Area at 5:45pm, tired but satisfied with a good day's effort in warm conditions, often with a headwind. "Picnic Area", sounds a bit grand for where we are. There are two concrete picnic tables and two water tanks, neither with any water. Otherwise it is dry, dusty and scrubby with hard stony red earth. Although maybe used for picnics, most of these double as unofficial free camping areas for travellers, which is great. The downside is that you may end up sharing with people who cause you concern (see above). The alternative is to find somewhere quiet off the road where nobody knows you are there. Tonight, we were hoping, though not expecting, there might be water available (see above), so we took a chance.
Before going to bed, we spent some time admiring the awe-inspiring outback night sky. The Milky Way was brilliantly visible, as were myriads of other stars. Very special.
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